North Hudson hustles to make grant deadline

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The North Hudson village board put an agenda item on the fast track last Tuesday (Dec. 1) in order to make a grant application deadline.

At issue was an urban wildlife abatement control grant which, if awarded, would give the village $5,000 toward the cost an archery deer hunting season. The urban deer season is in its first trial year under the guidance of River Valley Deer Management.

President George Klein moved the item up from No. 14 on the agenda to No. 4 in order to make the Dec. 1 deadline. “We have permission to fax the application in tonight,” Klein said.

The board passed a resolution to apply for the grant by a 5-0 margin. Trustees Sandra Whalen and Jim Thomas were absent.

Lon Feia, president of the management group, said last week that 22 deer had been bagged since the season opened Sept. 12. Their goal is 30 to 50 deer in during the pilot program that will end when the archery season closes Jan. 31.

“With the colder weather and maybe some snow on the ground, the hunting should pick up,” Feia said.

Feia said by and large residents are very favorable to the program. “The only drawback has been two of our blinds have been stolen,” said Feia. “At one of the hunting spots a note was left stating we were illegally hunting within the village limits and the blind could be picked up at the DNR office in Baldwin. It never showed up there.”

Feia said the blinds could have been taken by well-meaning residents who were unaware that members of River Valley Deer Management have permits to hunt legally within the village limits in designated areas.

“If whoever took the blinds would return them to the same place they found them, we won’t press charges,” said Feia. The blinds are valued at around $400 each, he said.

The group filed a complaint on the stolen blinds with the North Hudson Police Department, a spokesperson confirmed last week.

Tags: local government, north hudson, deer management, news, grant